For common PC users, specifications and performance of a desktop computer doesn’t really matter. It’s good enough as long as it does what it’s supposed to do, like creating, editing, and saving office files and documents. But for a true gaming enthusiast, choosing the components of a PC is as vital as choosing your weapons before going to a battle. Only the right hardware with the most optimum performance will do. Although the two, by essence, is indeed similar, a gaming PC is far from your common desktop computer. Its hardware should be carefully selected to provide absolute reliability during strenuous gaming processes.

Steps

1

Choose your processor. Just like any electronic device, the processor is the brain of a gaming PC. Therefore, it’s essential that you pick the right one.

The two most common processors used in PCs are Intel and AMD, each having an array of model to choose from.

As a rule of thumb, the more cores a processor has, the better performance it can give.

Good gaming processors range from $200 up to $1000.

2

Choose a gaming motherboard. If the processor acts as the brain, the motherboard serves as its nervous system, distributing all the commands the processor sends to all the components.

To ensure fast response rate, a motherboard should be able to handle the load of the games being played.

You can buy a good motherboard starting around $100.

Common motherboard brands are ASUS, MSI and Gigabyte.

3

Beef up your RAM. Video games require intense memory processing. That’s why in order to help your processor do the work, you need a considerably large RAM module.

Typical RAM capacity for gaming PC is around 4 GB to 16 GB. Check your owner’s manual to know what frequency of RAM/Memory module is compatible with your motherboard.

RAM modules costs around $20 a piece, depending on its size.

4

Buy a good graphics card. Since everything about gaming is visual, a high-performance graphics card is a must. The higher the capacity of the card, the better the visual it can produce.

You can buy a decent, mid-level graphics card for at least $100, but the high-end ones will cost you at least $500-$1,000.

Common video cards used for gaming PCs are NVidia and ATI, each have its own various models you can choose from.

5

Choose a high-wattage power supply. PC peripherals designed for gaming requires a lot of power to do all the important processes. Choosing a high-wattage power supply will ensure your rig gets the right amount of electricity it needs to run.

Mid-range gaming PCs will need around 500 watts while high-performance ones can eat power up to 1,000 watts.

Prices of power supplies depend on the wattage rating. You can buy a 500-watt PSU for around $50 to $200.

6

Select the proper casing. Because a gaming PC needs a lot of power to work, it will tend to generate large amount of heat. Choosing the right CPU tower/casing will prevent your rig from overheating.

Decent cases start from $50.

You can also attach fans or water-cooling systems to help improve the ventilation system.

7

Complete your gaming PC with accessories. Large display monitors, gaming mice and keyboard, and headsets are the common accessories you’ll need with your gaming PC.

Although these items are not completely necessary, it adds to the overall gaming experience and performance of the rig.

Community Q&A

Where should I allocate the most money? How will I know which model I should get for each item?

wikiHow Contributor

Where more of your money should be is at the processor and motherboard. I personally recommend starting with a motherboard and picking parts that the motherboard says it's compatible with. I use PcPartsPicker.com. It allows me to easily pick parts compatible with my motherboard in just a few clicks.

If this question (or a similar one) is answered twice in this section, please click here to let us know.

Video

Warnings

Disconnect your PC from any source of electricity before putting it together. You may risk getting electrically shocked if you leave your computer plugged into a power outlet while working on its parts.

Do not put the PC parts anywhere where there might be a source of static electricity to avoid shorting the parts.

Tips

Always read the instruction manual of the computer parts you buy. Make sure that you read all the important details first to avoid having any compatibility issues.

Let more experienced technicians assemble your gaming PC for your if you don’t have any experience building one.